Belt-buckle.



A. M00! GARDNER.

BELT BUCKLE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 22,1909.

941,242. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

vwentoz 4" A? (WHO few M C (yard/wen itmmwo M g) {97M Qumran UNITED STATES PATE'N T OFFICE.

ANDREW MeC. GARDNER, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BENJAMIN C. WOODWARD, F NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

BELT-BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

Application filed May 22, 1909. Serial No. 497,629.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW MoO. GARD- NER, citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt- Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buckles, and particularly to those used for attaching the ends of belts.

The object of the invention is to form an improved device for the purpose stated characterized particularly by novel means for holding the ends of the belt and for permitting adjustment thereof to vary the size of the belt.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front view thereof; Fig. 2 is a rear view of the buckle, the belt being removed; Fig. 3 is a top edge view of the buckle; Fig. 1 is a section on the line @1 1 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a top edge view of the buckle in open position.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates a front plate adapted to conceal the remainder of the buckle, and which may be ornamented or decorated as desired, and which is the only part of the device which shows when it is in use. The belt is indicated at 7. On the back of said plate, near one end thereof, is afiixed a hinge member 8 which is provided for a portion of its length with a row of teeth 9 presented inwardly, or toward the other end of the plate. The member 8 receives, for pivotal connection, the ends of a vertically elongated loop 10 the opposite side of which is covered or faced with a sheet metal plate 11. The loop 10 is preferably made of stout wire or the like, and the wires are extended horizontally across the buckle forming a bar 12 composed of two strands of the wire which are bent at the opposite end to form a vertically elongated loop 13 which is substantially a duplicate of the loop 10. The loop 13 is also provided on its inner side with a sheet metal plate 1 1 and on its outer or distant side with a hinged clamp member 15 which is arranged to turn on the loop and which has a row of teeth 16 projecting toward the edge of the plate 13 when the buckle is closed. The plate 6 also has a rearwardly projecting snap clasp 17 consisting of a plate or piece of spring metal soldered or otherwise fixed to the back of the plate, with a projecting lip turned up to proper position so that the member 15 when pressed against the front plate will snap in behind the lip and be held in closed position against the front plate.

The hinge connection between the part 8 and the loop 10 allows the whole back frame of the buckle to be swung open, or rather allows the front plate to be swung away from the belt-holding members of the buckle to allow access to the ends of the belt for the purpose of adjusting or manipulat ing the same. One end of the belt 7 is in serted through the loop 13, the plate 6 being swung open or away and the clamping member 15 being turned to open position, as shown in Fig. 5. hen the member 15 is turned or pressed in the toothed part 16 thereof engages the end of the belt which is thereby clamped in the loop 13 against the bend or knuckle of the plate 14L on the opposite side of the loop, the teeth engaging the belt to hold the same. The front or guard plate 6 is then swung to closed position, the end 7 a of the belt inserted through the loop 10 and then being first pulled to snug or tight position to lit the waist of the person using the belt. Vhen the plate 6 is swung to closed position the teeth 9 of the member 8 engage said belt and clamp the same against the knuckle of the plate 11 on the opposite side of the loop 10 thereby fastening the said end in the loop and holding the belt; and when the plate 6 is pressed to fully closed position the knuckle of the member 15 snaps in under the lip of the catch 17, thereby holding the front plate in closed position and locking the clamping members which hold the ends of the belt. To unfasten the belt it is simply necessary to pull open the front plate 6, disengaging the same from the remainder of the buckle at the lip 17. This action opens the belt clamp at the loop 10 and allows the end 7 a of the belt to be pulled out or detached, thereby permitting removal of the belt. The opposite end of the belt, being the end engaged by the clamp 15, will as a rule remain fixed, although it may be adjusted by opening the buckle and turning the part 15 outwardly as shown in Fig. 5, which will release the belt at that end. The clamping devices provided are without objectionable penetrating tongues and permit the belt to be adjusted to any necessary position. A difierent belt can be readily substituted Without removing stitches or the like, by merely unfastening both ends of the belt from the respective clamps which hold the same.

Although illustrated and described in connection with a belt, the device is applicable to garters, bends etc, and no limitation is implied with respect to use.

I claim: I v y l. The combination of a front plate, and a V buckle member hinged to said plate, to swing to and from the same, means to hold said member in closed position against the plate, a clasp for one end of a belt, said clasp having separate parts attached respectively to the plate and said member and arranged to hold the end of the belt when the member is closed against the plate, and a clasp carried by said member for the other end of the belt.

2. The combination of a front plate, a hinge member fixed to the back thereof near one end and having a projecting edge, a

frame provided with loops at opposite ends to receive the ends of a belt or the like, one loop being pivotally connected to said mem-' ber and arranged to swing to closed position and to thereby clamp the belt end against said edge, a pivoted clasp member mounted on the other loop and constructed to grip the end of the belt therein, and means to hold the frame closed against the front plate.

3; The combination of a front plate having a spring clip on the back thereof, a

buckle frame hinged at one end to the back of the plate and having clasps at opposite ends to engage the ends of a belt or the like, the clasp at the free end having a turning clamping partwhich is engaged and held closed by the clip when the frame is swung to closed position against the plate.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature. in presence of two Witnesses.

ANDREW M00. GARDNER. lVitnesses:

H. D. NIoHoL, A. G. NIoHoL, 

